Washing machine and centrifugal drier



J 3. 1956 R. SWARTZ WASHING MACHINE AND CENTRIFUGAL DRIER Filed July 28. 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 3, 1956 R. 0.. SWARTZ 2,729,336

WASHING MACHINE AND CENTRIFUGAL DRIER Filed July 28, 1947 Sheets-Sheet 3 I 0000000000 0 ooooooofip 0000000000 0000000000 -19 0000000000 0 000000000 0 0000000000 0 000000000 0000000000 0 000000000.

'q 0 0 as 79 I 0 72 89 83 J 81 84- 72 1 109 g 94 93 L 9/ Ill 97 1/6 Q 96 -f/5 3mm 3 Rid/Z0171). Swami yaw 3% Wm United States Patent 2,729,336 WASHING MACHINE AND CENTRIFUGAL DRIER Richey L. Swartz, Canton, Ohio, assignor of one-half to Kenneth B. Cope, Canton, Ohio Application July 28, 1947, Serial No. 764,203 2 Claims. (Cl. 210-72) The invention relates to washing machines and more particularly to a washing machine combined with a centrifugal drier.

An object of the invention is to provide a combined washing machine and centrifugal drier or extractor assembled in such manner that there is a unitary supporting and connecting means as well as a common driving means therefor.

Another object is to provide a machine of this character in which a motor forms the common driving means for both the washing machine and the centrifugal drier, a plurality of belts and pulleys connecting the motor to the oscillating agitator of the washing machine by a link and lever arrangement, whereby the washing machine agitator will be oscillated at a comparatively slow speed while the centrifugal drier is connected directly to the motor by a belt and pulley means whereby the centrifugal drier is rotated substantially at motor speed.

A further object is to provide a high speed rotary drier which will run evenly and smoothly without producing vibration in the machine.

A still further object is to provide a centrifugal drier or extractor which is mounted directly upon a flexible diaphragm.

Another object of the invention is to provide a centrifugal drier, the shaft of which is journalled in a hearing centrally mounted upon a flexible diaphragm.

A further object is to provide a vertically disposed centrifugal drier having a shaft fixed to and extending downwardly therefrom and provided with a single journal portion journalled within a bearing mounted in the central portion of a flexible diaphragm. g

A further object is to provide a centrifugal drier of this character in which a pulley is mounted upon the shaft of the centrifugal drier directly beneath the hearing in the flexiblediaphragm for connection by a belt to a motor or other prime mover for rotating the centrifugal drier athigh speed.

A still further object is to provide such a centrifugal drier in which the pulley is normally rotatably mounted upon the shaft of the centrifugal drier, manually operated clutch means being provided on the shaft for engagement with the pulley.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a combined washing machine and centrifugal drier with separate clutch means for independently operatively connecting each to the motor or other driving means.

Another object of the invention is to generally improve and simplify the'construction of a combined washing machine and centrifugal drier.

The above objectstogether with others which will be apparent from the drawings and following description, or which may be later referred to, may be attained by constructing the improved washing machine and centrifugal drier in the manner hereinafter described in detail and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which;

Figure l is a vertical sectional view through the improved washing machine and centrifugal drier, taken substantially on the line 1-1, Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 a bottom plan view of the machine showing the belt and pulleys for operating the washing machine agitator and the centrifugal drier; and

Fig. 3 an enlarged, vertical sectional view of the lower portion of the centrifugal drier showing the flexible mounting and clutch therefor.

The combined washing machine and drier may be supported upon the bed plate indicated generally at 10, which may be cast or otherwise formed of any suitable metal having a plurality of bosses 11 formed on its under side for providing journal bearings for the various driving pulleys as will be later described and preferably having strengthening or reinforcing ribs 12 formed upon its under surface.

A plurality of legs 13 may be attached to the under surface of the bed plate 10 as by the flanged, internally threaded rings, 14, said legs being preferably tubular and have the telescoping portion 15 adjustably mounted therein as by the set screws 16, casters 17 being carried thereby for supporting the machine upon a floor or the like.

The washing machine tub, indicated generally at 18, and the drier tub, indicated generally at 19, may each be formed of any suitable sheet metal or the like and mounted upon the top of the bed plate 10 adjacent to each other. For this purpose the bed plate as best shown in Fig. 2, is of such size and shape as to accommodate the two tubs.

Any suitable sheet metal enclosure, as indicated generally at 20, may be located between the tubs 13 and 19. A sheet metal skirt 21 may depend from the marginal edges of the bed plate 10 to cover the legs 13 and the working parts of the driving mechanism as will be later described.

Motive power may be provided for the washing ma chine and the drier in the form of an electric motor 22 supported upon an angle bracket 23 connected to the under side of the bed plate 10.

A double groove pulley 24 is fixed upon the shaft 25 of the motor and provided with the lower V-belt groove 26 for connection by a V-belt 27 to the centrifugal drier, as will be later described and an upper V-belt groove 28 for connection by the V-belt 29 to the relatively large V-belt pulley 30 which is slidably rotatably mounted upon the vertical shaft 31 mounted in the boss 11a formed on the under side of the bed plate 10.

A clutch portion 32 is formed upon the under side of the pulley 30 and cooperates with the clutch member 33 having the peripheral groove 34 which receives the forked portion 35 of the clutch lever 36. The clutch member 33 is rotatably mounted upon the shaft 31 and has the relatively small V-belt pulley 37 fixed thereto to receive the V-belt 38 which is located around the relatively large V-belt pulley 39 rotatably mounted upon the shaft 40 which depends from one of the bosses 11 on the under side of the bed plate 10.

The clutch lever 36 is fulcrumed intermediate its extremities, as indicated at 41, upon a bracket 42 attached to the under side of the bed plate 10 and may be bent so as to extend upwardly along side of the machine having a knob 43 upon its upper end for manually operating the same, and may include any conventional means for holding the clutch in closed position when the lever is operated.

A relatively small pulley 44 is fixed to the pulley 39 and connected by a V-belt 45 with the relatively large pulley 46 journalled upon the shaft 47 which is connected to and depends from one of the bosses 11 on the under side of the bed plate.

A lever arm 48 is fixed upon the lower end of the 3 shaft 47 and pivotally connected as at 49 to one end of a link 50, the other endof which is pivotally connected as at 51 to a lever arm 52 which is fixed upon the agitator shaft 53 of the Washing machine.

The agitator shaft 53 is journalled through bearings 54 located through a suitable opening 55 in the bed plate and the bottom wall of the washing machine tub 18, an annular flange 56 upon said bearing fitting upon the inside of the bottom wall of the tub, the lower end of the bearing 54 being externally screw threaded to receive the nut 57 by means of which a water-tight joint is provided for the agitator shaft. Any conventional form of agitator, as indicated generally at 58, may be mounted upon the shaft 53 in usual and well known manner.

When the motor 22 is operated and the clutch lever 36 operated to move the clutch member 33 on the pulley 37 into engagement with the clutch, member 32 on the pulley 30, through the pulleys and belts above described, the pulley 46 will be continuously rotated at a slow speed relative to the motor 22.

The motor may be of a type to operate at about 1.725 to 1750 R. P. M., and through the pulley and belt reduction the pulley 46 may rotate at about 63 or 64 R. P. M.

The levers 48 and 52 and link are so proportioned that as the pulley 46 continuously rotates in one direction and rotates the lever 48 therewith, the lever 52 upon the agitator shaft 53 will continuously oscillate in an are so as to oscillate the agitator 58 in conventional manner.

Now referring to the centrifugal drier or extractor which forms an important part of the invention, a perforate basket 59, which may be in the form of a sheet metal cylinder as shown in the drawings, is rotatably mounted within the tub or compartment 19 to rotate at high speed.

A central shaft 60 is attached to the basket 59 by means of the clamping plates 61 and 62, the plate 61 being rigidly attached to the shaft as by the pin 63 and bearing upon the top surface of the bottom wall of the basket while the plate 62' is clamped against the bottom surface of said bottom wall and attached to the plate 61 as by the screws 64.

In order to provide a water-tight joint between the bottom of the basket and the shaft, 21 stuffing box 65 is formed, being filled with suitable packing material 66 which is compressed and held in position as by the flanged ring 67 and screws 68.

In order to provide a smooth running centrifugal drier which will not vibrate when rotating at high speed, the shaft 60 is supported directly in a floating beating carried by a flexible diaphragm. For this purpose a diaphragm 69 is provided comprising one or more sheets of substantial thickness of a suitable flexible material such as a laminated rubber impregnated fabric or the like.

in order to mount this diaphragm, a substantial opening 70, concentric with the shaft 60, is formed in the bed plate 10, the peripheral portion of the diaphragm being rigidly connected to the bed plate immediately surrounding the opening 70 as by the metal clamping ring '71 and bolts 72.

In order to prevent water draining from the basket 59 from entering the opening 70 and coming into contact with the diaphragm, a disc plate 73 may be mounted over the opening 70 being connected by the bolts 72, and provided with a central opening surrounded by the vertical annular flange 74 extending upward to a point near the bottom of the basket 59.

Suitable anti-friction bearings, such as the ball bearings indicated generally at 75 and 76 are located around the shaft 60 on the upper and lower sides of the diaphragm 69, the inner races 77 and 78 respectively of said ball bearings being fixed upon the shaft directly above and below the central opening 79 in the diaphragm through which the shaft is located.

The outer races 80 and 81 of the ball bearings are mounted within the bearing housings 82 and 83 which are tightly clamped to the upper and lower sides of the diaphragm 69 as by the screws 84 located through the peripheral flanges 85 upon said bearing housings.

The portion 86 of the shaft 60, located through the ball bearings, is slightly reduced in diameter so that the shoulder 87 formed thereby will rest upon the inner ball race 77 of the upper ball bearing 75.

It is thus seen that the flat, horizontal diaphragm 69 is supported only at its periphery upon a stationary portion of the apparatus, such as the bed plate 10, and the diaphragm forms the sole support for the shaft 60 and basket 59.

Just below the lower bearing housing 83 the shaft 60 is further reduced, as indicated at 88, providing the shoulder 89 which rests upon the inner race 90 which is fixed to the reduced portion 88 of the shaft and forms part of a ball bearing indicated generally at 91 for the clutch member 92 of a cone clutch, the outer race '93 or" said ball bearing being fixed within a socket 94 in the upper end of said clutch member, which is preferably formed of bronze or the like.

A V-belt groove 95 is formed in the clutch member 92 to receive the V-belt 27, thus providing a V-belt pulley upon the clutch member 92, which is. preferably of the same diameter as the pulley 26 upon the motor shaft whereby the clutch member 92 may be rotated at the speed of the motor which in the present case may be about 1725 to 1750 R. P. M.

The cooperating clutch member, indicated generally at 96, may be formed of steel and provided with the conical head 97 adapted. to be received within the conical socket 98 of the clutch member 92. The clutch member 96 is slidably keyed upon the lower portion of the shaft 60 as by the spline 99.

A coil spring 1.00 is located around the lower end portion of the shaft 60, between the lower end of the clutch member 96 and the adjusting nut 101 so as to normally urge the clutch member 96 upward upon the shaft into contact with the clutch member 92.

The lower end portion of the clutch member 96 is reduced and screw threaded as indicated at 102 and the internally threaded ring 103 is mounted thereon and forms a seat for the inner ball race 104 of the ball bearing indicated generally at 105, said inner ball race being fixed upon the clutch member 96 directly above the reduced threaded portion 102 thereof.

The outer ball race 106 of said ball bearing is provided at its upper end with an inwardly disposed annular flange 107, located above and spaced from the inner ball race 104, and a sheet metal housing 108 may be provided for the outer ball race 106.

The clutch member 96 is arranged to be slidably moved downward upon the shaft 60 out of engagement with the clutch member 92 by means of the clutch lever 109, which may extend up along one side of the tub or compartment 19, a knob 110 being preferably formed upon the upper end thereof for manually manipulating the same. Conventional means may be provided for holding the lever in operated position.

The lower portion of the clutch lever 109 is bent inward at about a right angle, being mounted through a suitable opening 111 in the skirt 21 and fulcrumed as at 112 to a bracket 113 depending from the under side of the bed plate 10 and rigidly connected thereto as by the screw 114.

The yoke 115' at the inner end of the clutch lever 109 surrounds the reduced portion 116 of the clutch member 96 and contacts the flange 107 of the outer ball race 106. With this construction when the upper end of the lever 109 is moved toward the tub or drier compartment 19, or to the left as viewed in Fig. 3, the yoke 115 in the lower inner end thereof will move the clutch member 96 downward out of engagement with the clutch member 92.

Suitable drains, as indicated generally at 117 and 118, may be provided for draining the washing machine tub 18 and the drier tub or compartment 19 in usual and well known manner.

If desired, as shown in Fig. 2, the drains 117 and 118 may be connected by hose 117 and 118' respectively, to a pump 117a and a hose 118a may be connected to the pump and adapted to drain in a sink, catch basin or the like, or if desired the hose 118a may be used as shown in Fig. 2 to pump water from the drier back to the washing machine tub.

A conventional cover or lid 119 may be provided for the washing machine tub 18 having a knob thereon for the purpose of easily removing or replacing the same. A lid or cover 120 is rotatably mounted upon the top of the drier tub 19 and provided with a drain portion 120a for draining water back into the washing machine tub 18.

The cover 120 has a central opening 121 of at least the diameter of the perforate basket 59 which may be covered by the hinged lid 122.

A cover or lid 123 may also be provided for the rotating basket 59 of the centrifugal drier, and in order to seal this lid in position upon the basket, the shaft 60 may extend to the upper end of the basket and be provided with the screw threaded socket 124 to receive the screw 125.

With this construction of centrifugal drier it has been found in actual use that the perforate basket 59 may be rotated at excessively high speed as compared with the conventional centrifugal driers now in use and even at such high speeds the basket will run smoothly and evenly with not even the slightest vibration.

Whereas in the conventional centrifugal driers it is customary to bolt the legs of the machine to the floor in order to prevent the machine from walking due to vibration caused by the rotation of the perforate basket, such precaution is not necessary with the present machine and it is not even necessary to block the casters upon the supporting legs of the machine since there is absolutely no vibration produced in the machine by the rotation of the perforate basket.

Any vibration which may be caused by the rotation of the perforate basket is completely damped by the flexible diaphragm carrying the ball bearings in which the shaft of the basket is journalled.

I claim:

1. In a centrifugal drier, a tub having a relatively large central opening in its bottom wall, a flat horizontal flexible diaphragm closing said opening, means connecting the peripheral portion only of the diaphragm to the bottom wall of the tub surrounding said opening, an anti-friction bearing connected to the central portion of the diaphragm, there being a relatively small central opening in the diaphragm, a shaft journalled through said bearing, a perforate basket fixed upon the shaft within the tub, a pulley rotatably mounted upon the shaft directly below the diaphragm, means for driving said pulley, a clutch member fixed upon said pulley, a second clutch member slidably keyed upon the shaft, spring means normally urging the second clutch member into operative engagement with the first clutch member, and a clutch lever for moving the second clutch member out of engagement with the first clutch member, said anti-friction bearing and flexible diaphragm forming the only support for the shaft and basket, whereby the basket is completely flexibly mounted so as to float within the tub.

2. In a centrifugal drier, a tub having a relatively large central opening in its bottom wall, a flat horizontal flexible diaphragm closing said opening, means connecting the peripheral portion only of the diaphragm to the bottom wall of the tub surrounding said opening, an anti-friction bearing connected to the central portion of the diaphragm, there being a relatively small central opening in the diaphragm, a shaft journalled through said bearing, a perforate basket fixed upon the shaft within the tub, a pulley rotatably mounted upon the shaft directly below the diaphragm, means for driving said pulley, a clutch member fixed upon said pulley, a second clutch member slidably keyed upon the shaft, spring means normally urging the second clutch member into operative engagement with the first clutch member, a clutch lever for moving the second clutch member out of engagement with the first clutch member, a disc plate connected at its periphery to the bottom of the tub adjacent to the opening therein, said disc plate having a central opening, and an upright, annular flange around the central opening in the disc plate, said anti-friction bearing and flexible diaphragm forming the only support for the shaft and basket, whereby the basket is completely flexibly mounted so as to float within the tub.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,797,876 Mitchum Mar. 24, 1931 1,932,246 Kirby Oct. 24, 1933 2,029,937 Nelson Feb. 4, 1936 2,060,454 Te Pas Nov. 10, 1936 2,144,064 Johnson Jan. 17, 1944 2,346,668 Dunham Apr. 18, 1944 2,361,767 Hays, Jr Oct. 31, '1944 2,366,236 Clark Jan. 2, 1945 2,406,226 Kimball Aug. 20, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 601,194 Germany July 19, 1934 300,874 Great Britain Nov. 22, 1928 

